micro1 vs Braintrust: which should you pick?

Pick micro1 if you want better pay on today's listings and want the best-paid single roles; it's built for STEM and domain experts. Pick Braintrust if you care most about getting paid on time and want to be paid more often; it's built for experienced professionals. Both hire software engineers.

micro1

Typical top rate: $90/hrPlatform says $15–135/hr
Highest live top rate: $400/hr
Open jobs: 347

Apply on micro1 Review of micro1

Braintrust

Typical top rate: $31/hrPlatform says $20–200/hr
Highest live top rate: $150/hr
Open jobs: 58

Apply on Braintrust Review of Braintrust

How do micro1 and Braintrust compare?

micro1 is ahead on

Typical pay on live jobs
The highest-paying listing
Hires worldwide
Open to India

Braintrust is ahead on

Payout record
Payout schedule

About the same

Getting in
Steady work

How we mark a row

A tick marks the better of the two only where one is plainly better for anyone: advertised pay, typical pay on live jobs, how easy it is to get in, steady work, the payout record and schedule, and where it hires. Pay rows need a gap of at least 10%, and the live-jobs rate needs 5+ priced listings on both sides (otherwise it's under "Can't compare yet"). The advertised-pay tick goes to the higher advertised top; a single live listing above it is shown as context, not counted. There's no overall score: a better payout record matters more than a payout day, so weigh the rows that matter to you.

"Hires worldwide" and "Open to India" are marked on listings posted in the last 4 weeks, so a pile of months-old posts can't win them. Payout method, time to apply, open jobs, recent posts and red flags are context, never a win. A count of red flags mostly shows how much has been written about a platform, so read the flags themselves below.

micro1 compared with Braintrust, row by row
	micro1	Braintrust
Typical top rate, live jobs	$90/hr, from 339 priced listings (better)	$31/hr, from 29 priced listings
Highest live listing	$400/hr (better)	$150/hr
Platform says (advertised range)	$15–135/hr	$20–200/hr
Getting in	Some screening	Some screening
Steady work	Work is patchy	Work is patchy
Payout record	Some delays	Pays on time (better)
Payout schedule	Twice a month	Weekly (better)
Payout method	micro1 platform wallet (contractor payments)	Not specified on the AI training page
Hires worldwide	Yes, 40 open roles take any country (better)	Not on today's listings; says it hires in many countries
Open to India	Yes: 2 open roles name India and 40 are open worldwide; 211 more don't name a country (better)	Yes: 1 open role names India; none is open worldwide; 1 more don't name a country
Time to apply	~30–45 min: profile + AI interview	~30–60 min profile + AI interview
Open jobs on Rubric	347	58
Posted in the last 4 weeks	252 of 347	58 of 58
Red flags on record	3	None

What kind of work does each one hire for?

micro1

What it is: Recruiting company that vets experts with an AI interviewer (Zara) and staffs them on contract AI-training and evaluation projects for AI labs.
Fields: Coding, Math, Science, Medicine, Law, Finance, Writing, Languages, Video, Images, STEM, Audio
Best for: Software engineers, STEM and domain experts, Applicants outside the US

Red flags

Red flagWeeks of silence after the AI interview
Red flagContracts signed but no onboarding or tasks
Red flagProjects ending or changing scope without notice

Braintrust

What it is: Freelance talent network that now also runs AI training work, matching professionals to rating, red-teaming and code-review tasks after an AI skills interview.
Fields: Coding, Writing, Finance, Law, Medicine, Science, Generalist, Audio, Images, STEM
Best for: Experienced professionals, Software engineers, Freelancers already on Braintrust

Red flags

None on record.

How do you apply to micro1 and Braintrust?

micro1~30–45 min: profile + AI interview

Sign up and upload your resume
Apply to a specific opportunity
Do the AI interview with Zara on a computer (not a phone)
Take any skill assessment and verify your identity
Wait to be matched to a project and sign the contract

You'll need: Computer with webcam and mic for the AI interview; Relevant degree or work history for expert roles.

Braintrust~30–60 min profile + AI interview

Create a Braintrust profile with your specialization
Complete the AI skills interview
Browse and accept AI training tasks in your dashboard

You'll need: Professional experience in your field; Complete profile.

Common questions

Which pays more, micro1 or Braintrust?

micro1 says $15–135/hr and Braintrust says $20–200/hr. On current listings the typical top rate is $90/hr on micro1 and $31/hr on Braintrust.

Which is easier to get into, micro1 or Braintrust?

They're about the same: both are “some screening”.

Can you work on both micro1 and Braintrust?

Yes. Both are contract platforms, and nothing stops you from being on several at once. Many people apply to both and work wherever there are tasks that week.